The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has replied former Governor of
Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah on his alleged comment that Biafra
is for Igbo alone, asking him to explain who Philip Effiong was if
Biafra is just for Igbo. IPOB in a statement signed by its spokeman, Dr Clifford Iroanya and
Mr. Emma Mmezu, titled “Obong Victor Attah who is Philip Effiong if
Biafra is for Igbo alone,” regretted that “some elders in Biafra land
have become the most clueless people in the world and it rings more true
for people who are supposedly seen as educated like the former governor
of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah who last week made an objection
against the statement made by the President Muhammadu Buhari that
Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable.

“While we generally applauded Obong
Attah on his response to President Buhari that the unity of Nigeria is
negotiable, we regrettably read few days later the same man blabbing and
saying Biafra is for the Igbo alone. So, we began to ask ourselves
critical questions about this statement coming from the man we respected
so much.

“We are forced to ask if Obong Victor
Attah lack full knowledge and history about the Biafra civil war or does
he not know who was called General Philip Effiong, the Biafran second
in command to General Odumegwu Ojukwu, who happened to come from the
same state with him, Akwa Ibom.

“With due respect , Biafra is not for
Igbo alone, rather, Igbo is one of the tribes that makes up Biafra. In
case you forget the history, His Royal Highness Chief Frank Opigo Dawai
111, Amananaowei of Angiama, an elder statesman, politician,
educationist, philanthropist and graduate in 1953, became the
administrator of Yenegoa Province of Biafra and the Commissioner for
Rural Development in 1967.

“Chief Opigo in a meeting summoned by
late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu suggested the name “BIAFRA. He gave the
name Biafra, after the Bight of Biafra now Bonny and the rest of the
old Eastern elders in that meeting including General Odimegwu Ojukwu,
adopted the name”.

According to IPOB “as a matter of fact
Biafra’s historical record would remain incomplete if this great Ijaw
son is not mentioned or remembered. Sir you also forgot that as at the
time when Ojukwu declared Biafra, he was Governor of Eastern Region that
includes Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, Old Rivers
and Old Cross Rivers were already created by Gowon.

“In other words Biafra consists of Abia,
Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo,
and Rivers states.Sir your statement that Biafra is only for the Igbo
tribe is clueless and we wonder if you were not born before the war.
“Sir, you forgot too soon that Phillip Effiong who is from Akangkang of
Ibiono Ibom in Akwa Ibom State, a Chief of General Staff and next to the
Head of State General Ojukwu, fought in defense of his people to the
last second of the war, General Ojukwu handed over power to General
Effiong, leaving for Côte d’Ivoire. Effiong thereafter became Biafra’s
new Head of State till his death.

“Henceforth we are ever united now, more stronger than before, more
determined, we will never give room and will never tolerate anybody who
will instigate the divide and rule tactics used on us by our enemies and
we will ever remain fearless before anybody who will stand as an enemy
to the restoration of our dear country Biafra, and we hope sir that you
will not be one of those people we are talking about”.